iMovie '06 HD vs. iMovie '09??

[Khryz]

I've seen a lot of buzz about iPhoto '09 but nobody seems to have really reviewed iMovie '09 yet -- and that is the only reason why it would be worth for me to upgrade.

I bought a mac with '06 and never tried '08 but when I heard it sucked I didn't bother. So what is the difference now between iMovie 06 and 09? Did the go back to their "roots" and re-include a lot of the functions from 06 that they took out for the '08? I hear there was no timeline for more complex editing in '08.

So basically, for the people who went back to iMovie '06 after they got '08 and now have the '09 .. is it worth it? Do you like it better?

 

[stockcerts]

Like many, I preferred 06 better than 08. I did just receive the new ILife yesterday, and since my evening was free...I began working on a new project in IMovie 09. It's much better than 08, but it could still be so much more. I haven't used it enough to provide a good analysis, but I do like the few themes and maps that are included. I'm surprised at just how few themes and transitions come with the new version. I've used some PC movie making apps (a few years back) and they had dozens of great transitions. I may look into buying an add-in pack of themes and transitions...if they are available.

I'll be able to do a better review by time the weekend is over.

 

[veshman]

i like 08 better than 06

i have to say, for some reason, I like iMovie 08 a LOT better than 06. Granted, my only purpose in movie making is just to put photos together with the ken burns, maybe a little video, and some music.

I had a lot more trouble doing that in 06 than in 08. My experience was about 30 minutes of meddling in both...in 06 I barely got through anything. In 08, I had a pretty decent movie going in 15 minutes, and honed it into something I liked and had it exported to my iPhone in an hour.

I just got my copy of 09 and will see how it goes. I haven't decided if I want to install it yet....

 

[brevort]

Much Improved iMovie 09

I was a die hard iMovie HD user for the past three years. I hated iMovie 08 when it was released. The lack of a timeline feature made the software a nonstarter as far as I was concerned. I spent about two hours with iMovie 09 last evening and was very impressed. It easy to learn (intuitive) and fairly powerful once the advanced features set is turned on. Anyone who takes the 30 minutes or so required to watch all of the iMovie 09 tutorials on Apple's site will be able to quickly produce quality videos and enjoy doing it. I've removed iMovie HD from my dock.

 

[Khryz]

I was a die hard iMovie HD user for the past three years. I hated iMovie 08 when it was released. The lack of a timeline feature made the software a nonstarter as far as I was concerned. I spent about two hours with iMovie 09 last evening and was very impressed. It easy to learn (intuitive) and fairly powerful once the advanced features set is turned on. Anyone who takes the 30 minutes or so required to watch all of the iMovie 09 tutorials on Apple's site will be able to quickly produce quality videos and enjoy doing it. I've removed iMovie HD from my dock.

This is what I want to hear. Yeah, I heard the timeline editor missing from '08 was the biggest gripe people have. Does '09 bring the same thing back or is there something better/different?

 

[Garshields]

08 was a joke. 09 is the real deal.

I am an imovie junkie. Check my youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=garyshields

I make 10-12 home movies a year using imovie on my macbook. I was so disappointed after 08 came out after the huge Steve jobs build up. No slow motion. No reverse! No fast motion! No themes! No audio adjustments! No Way! Although I likes the new setup and the scrolling function that allows you to scan through video much quicker. And the no rendering time was great. Also the integration with iDVD and iPhoto events. It still was definitely a step backwards. I tried using Final Cut but that was way to much.

Now after receiving 09, I am loving it. They brought back everything they took away. Plus added maps, video stabilization, picture in picture, green screen, more transitions and titles with animation, and the precision editor. One of things I missed the most was being able to dip the music audio while someone was talking. Although I liked the timeline view better, I figured out how to do it in 08 or 09 to the same effect. Just split you clips up. Then adjust each one individually.

So yes, buy it. It is worth it. And of course you get iphoto with facebook/flicker support, Faces, and Places. And garageband and iweb.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I was in the "Liked HD'06 better for editing, but found that the management functionality of '08 was worth the tradeoff" crowd.

So I'm very happy with '09s return to hard-core editing. The multi-angle ability is VERY nice; although a true 'two video feeds' would be nicer. (That way I could switch back and forth between two video feeds, rather than having to chop them up.) But I guess that's what Final Cut is for...